Apparatus for making felted boot-bodies.



No. 864,916. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.-

H. G. RICHARDSON.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING FBL'TED BOOT BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 5. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

HENRY O. RICHARDSON, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING FELTED BOOT-BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed March 5, 1907. Serial No. 360,766.

In said patent, the leg portion of the boot-tree had a vertical recess into which a fold of the slack of the felted leg of the boot is pressed by a flat blade detachably connected at the top to the tree and held temporarily in position by a thumb-screw. I

With my present improvement, I employ a vertically slotted tree, forming it hollow throughout and, by preference, of aluminium, and extending the recess inward in the general direction of the axis of the leg portion, instead of forward in the direction of the foot portion, as shown in saidpatent. The blade is no longer pivoted to the tree, but is detachable therefrom by an endwise movement and is pressed into the slot by a lever pivoted at one end to the bench or to a block fixed thereon. Meanwhile the treed boot, in process of construction, lies on a concave movable stand or tray on the bench, where it can be manipulated at will by the operator and the lever pressure on the blade shifted from point to point, as required. While the blade and the fold of felt beneath it are thus held edgewise in the slot of the tree by the operators hand on the lever, a spring clasp having peculiar notches to engage the upper edge of the blade is snapped on and its free end extended beneath and in frictional contact with the leg of the boot and tree at an intermediate point to hold the parts firmly during the drying operation.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of the boottree, and the felted boot-body thereon, with the blade and clamp in position for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and 'Fig. 3 a transverse section at line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 repre sents the preferred means employed in forming the fold or overlap, the tree being shown in end or top view.

The numeral (3 represents the hollow leg of the boottree, formed of aluminium to very materially reduce the weight and the consequent labor in this manufacture.

7 is the felted body being shaped on the tree, the fold, 01' overlap, 8, being shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

9 is the blade which presses the slack of the felted leg into the slot 10 in the leg portion of the tree, to form the seamless fold 8 tapering from the top dowmvardly and disappearing at the ankle. The slot 10 extends from the ankle portion nearly to the top of the tree, where it is flanked by two inwardly-extending parallel walls, ll, formed integral with the leg 6 and with a small top plate 12, (see Figs. 2, and l.) These parts hold the blade, at its upper end, in proper edgewise relation to the tree, the blade-tip 13 being reduced to engage terminally with the inner edge of said plate when inward pressure is applied along the back of the blade to form the overlap S.

In Fig. 4, the tree 6 with boot thereon lies on a movable tray l l resting on the work-bench 15, where it can be manipulated at will, and pressure upon the outer edge of blade 9 applied, at first by hand and then by the lever 16, shown as having a swiveled connection 17 uniting it to a block 18, secured to the bench. The details of this construction may, of course, be changed somewhat.

The spring clasp 19, applied as shown, holds the free end of the blade and the fold of the felt down in the slot, when the tree is to be removed for drying the felt. The notches 20, best shown in Fig. 3, adapt the clasp for varying sizes of trees and for greater or less pressure.

I claim as my invention:

1. The described hollow boot-tree provided with a vertical slot through the wall of its leg portion, from the ankle nearly to the top thereof, in combination with a movable blade adapted to press a fold of the boot-leg fabric through such slot, and with means for pressing and hold ing such blade and fold therein, substantially as set forth.

2. The improy'ed hollow boot-tree described, formed with a vertical slot through its leg portion, the walls thereof extending inwardly in the general direction of the axis of the leg, in combination with a movable flat blade adapted to press a fold of the boot-leg fabric into said slot, such blade engaging at its upper end with the unslotted metal at top of the boot-tree and with means for manipulating and pressing said blade to form the fold, substantially as set forth.

3. A vertically slotted boot-tree adapted to support a felted boot-body, and a movable flat blade serving to press a fold of the fabric into said slot, in combination with a spring clasp formed at one end with a plurality of notches to engage the back of such blade and adapted. at: its other end, to bear against the bootleg fabric on the tree, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature, in presence of the witnesses.

HENRY C. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses M. W. McEwnN, IRENE BAXTER, A. G. MONTGOMERY. 

